Marvel: The Alchemist Just Wants a Peaceful Life...

Chapter 60 Daily Life: The Impact of American Culture

After Sherlock packed everything up and embarked on another road trip with Doro, this time he finally felt something was right.

The modified Raptor balances comfort and a sense of style, at least making Sherlock and Doro's journey less uncomfortable.

However, when Sherlock actually embarked on this journey with Doro, he was stunned by the completely different national conditions compared to the Rabbit's country.

Well, Sherlock, who had been living in the city since his transmigration, didn't really feel the impact. But it wasn't until he embarked on a road trip that he truly experienced the immense rift within the United States.

In the United States, the reason why the so-called rural charm can remain popular is essentially because it has many supporters.

But in reality, this so-called rural charm is just a matter of self-sufficiency due to the vast land and sparse population. The quality of life is not much different from that of China in the 1980s and 90s, and may even be more backward.

Furthermore, such rural towns are inherently extremely exclusive, and there are very few towns that are open to outsiders.

Even towards Doro, whose art style is clearly different from the surroundings, the emotion shown is not curiosity but fear.

Of course, Sherlock didn't care about any of this; he was simply enjoying the scenery.

As for Doro himself, he didn't care at all; he was just a little curious as to why these people didn't like him.

Sherlock's explanation for this is that this group of people follow the experience passed down from generation to generation, and while they are conservative, they also resist new changes. They don't hate Doro, but they hate the unknown and they hate change.

Most importantly, the majority of this group are white.

There are even more extreme Amish groups who reject all modern technology and even travel by horse-drawn carriage. The men are uniformly identified by their straw hats and full beards.

In such areas, even federal police have to be cautious and dare not venture too far into these xenophobic regions.

What surprised Sherlock even more was the 'tradition' in these towns.

A policeman's child is a policeman, a butcher's child is still a butcher, and a farmer is still a farmer. Nobody seems to realize that anything is wrong with this. Many people have never even left their small town, let alone traveled abroad.

If that alone wasn't enough to surprise Sherlock, then the fact that this country, currently standing at the top of the world and claiming to be the most powerful in the world, was actually a religious state would truly astonish him.

Yes, in the United States, Christianity has almost become the state religion, and even some cults claim to be branches of Christianity. This is what shocked Sherlock.

Sherlock simply couldn't understand why these American guys went to church every week for worship and confession. Sherlock especially swore that the little confessional was the perfect place for the police to gather evidence.

It's comparable to the Mazu Mediation Room in Fujian, China.

The one on the Chinese side was established under official leadership, while the one on the American side was established by the church. The two are completely different!

The Amish, in particular, are almost a carbon copy of the Puritans from the British Isles, no, they are even more extreme than the Puritans.

After driving the entire Highway 50, Sherlock felt that his worldview had been almost completely reshaped; it was a real culture shock.

Of course, setting aside these American characteristics that are enough to make one feel incomprehensible, the scenery along the way truly captivated Sherlock.

Perhaps because he was a corporate slave in his past life, even in this life, Sherlock has an inexplicable longing for nature, and this longing reached its peak when he passed through the no-man's-land of Highway 50.

Sherlock and Doro never even drove on a proper road. The whole time they were in Tony's modified Baja mode, racing wildly through the wilderness, experiencing the legendary thrill of 'whoever lets off the gas is a coward'.

It wasn't until he truly experienced that passion that Sherlock understood why off-roading is so unforgettable for so many people.

The reason is quite simple; you'll understand once you hear just a few words.

Desert, lone smoke, lone rider, dust trail.

Doesn't that feeling of riding alone for thousands of miles immediately come to mind? Especially when you actually experience it, the thrill and sense of mission are something no man can resist.

There was a little incident involved.

Keep in mind that even in remote areas like Highway 50, there are speed limits, and state troop officers are lurking around checking speeds. If you exceed the speed limit, you'll face an American-style traffic stop.

However, the so-called speed limit only applies to the asphalt surface of the highway.

In other words, as long as you don't drive on asphalt, you can speed at will, and you can even do a stunt in front of the police. As long as your tires don't touch the asphalt, they can't do anything about it.

It's simply surreal.

Aside from the scenery and the joy of off-roading, what Sherlock and Doro found most unforgettable was probably the delicious food they ate along the way.

In the US, many places have their own unique characteristics. Apart from that damn dessert, Sherlock loves all the other dishes, especially the meat.

Almost every place has its own unique style of seasoning for meat, especially in small towns.

As for desserts.

For Sherlock, whose core origins are in the rabbit country, the desserts from the eagle side, from top to bottom and from south to north, are no different from simply stuffing white sugar into his mouth.

You know Snickers, right? It's sweet enough, isn't it? The one Rabbit bought is the reduced-sugar version!

What truly impressed Sherlock along the way was the Great Basin National Park, located at the end of Highway 50.

How should I put it? It perfectly matches all the stereotypes you have about the American wilderness!

The redwood trees covering the mountains and the bare peaks of the high-altitude region dazzled Sherlock.

Especially the redwoods, each one towering into the clouds, Sherlock even saw several enormous trees that would take more than a dozen people to encircle.

Most importantly, lightning-struck trees are almost everywhere in the Great Basin Redwood National Park! And they are genuine lightning-struck trees, the kind of trees that survive being struck by lightning!

Sherlock swore that, if they weren't picky about the tree species, the natural lightning-struck wood here would be enough to 'arm' all the Taoists on the rabbit's side.

But up to this point, the road trip has only just begun.

As Sherlock and Doro changed course from Highway 50 to Lincoln Highway, a phone call came into Sherlock's cell phone that he never expected.

"Mr. Sherlock, I wonder if you would be interested in a hammer that fell from the sky and cannot be moved an inch no matter what method you use?"

Coulson's voice, like a devil's whisper, came through the receiver to Sherlock's ears.

Chapter 61 A Hammer That Fell From the Sky

To be honest, Sherlock really didn't want to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s repeated 'harassment', but each time S.H.I.E.L.D. came up with conditions that Sherlock couldn't refuse.

The last piece of information about Obadiah was like that, and this time it's even more so about that immovable hammer falling from the sky.

Upon hearing Coulson's description of the hammer on the phone, Sherlock almost immediately knew what it was.

Mjolnir!

That is Thor's Mjolnir!

Compared to his own Spear of Longinus, the Mjolnir was a true 'divine weapon'! It was one of the strongest weapons born from the magical and technological civilization of Asgard! One of the treasures of the Aesir!

If only we could analyze the Meow Hammer...

The moment this idea appeared in Sherlock's mind, it quickly took hold of him like an addictive poison, even overshadowing his loathing for S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra. Almost instinctively, he said it to Coulson on the other end of the phone.

Where exactly is that hammer?

Upon hearing Sherlock's reply, Coulson finally breathed a sigh of relief, a smile returning to his face, and gave Sherlock an address over the phone.

"The desert in New Mexico! I'll send you the exact coordinates via text message."

After saying that, Coulson hung up the phone. Sherlock listened to the busy tone on the phone, his expression one of great struggle. After thinking it over and over again, Sherlock gave up the idea of ​​using the Anywhere Door to get there directly and chose the most traditional way: driving there.

On the one hand, it was because Sherlock couldn't appear too eager in front of Coulson, and on the other hand, it was because Sherlock wasn't actually that far from New Mexico at that time.

It's best to keep something like the Anywhere Door out of Hydra's sights.

Unlike when he faced Coulson alone before, who knows if there might be a Hydra mole on the scene? Sherlock didn't want to be too high-profile for the sake of his future quiet life.

Although Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D. most likely already know that Sherlock's ability is alchemy, they still have some reservations about the unknown nature of alchemy.

However, items like the Anywhere Door, which can be considered to have strategic delivery capabilities, can easily break through these so-called concerns, just like capitalists when faced with a 1000% profit margin.

Looking at the coordinates transmitted by his phone, Sherlock could only sigh helplessly before turning the car around and driving towards the target, hoping that the plot of Thor 1 would slow down a bit so that he would have time to analyze Mjolnir.

Meanwhile, at the scene of the Mjolnir incident, after Coulson hung up the phone, a man carrying a bow and arrow walked up to Coulson and asked him a question.

"Is the foreign aid you found reliable?"

Coulson's smile remained unchanged as he answered the man's question.

"Don't worry, Agent Barton. He's the most reliable superhuman I've encountered so far. He's the one who took care of Iron Man in Los Angeles."

At this point, Clint Barton's expression became extremely strange. He raised his hand to interrupt Coulson, his expression seemingly complicated, and asked Coulson a question.

"The extraordinary ability user you're talking about, could it be a little guy named Sherlock Flamel?"

Upon hearing Hawkeye's words, Coulson raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at Clint Barton, who was carrying a bow and arrows, in front of him with some surprise.

"You know him?"

Faced with Coulson's question, Clint Barton's expression became even more complicated. After remaining silent for a long time, he finally managed to utter two words to Coulson.

"I've met you!"

After saying that, Clint Barton turned and left without hesitation, and began to direct the construction of the temporary fence on site.

Looking at Clint Barton's slightly disheveled back, Coulson was full of questions. He took out his phone and accessed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal system. After looking at the intersection of Clint Barton's and Sherlock's paths, Coulson understood almost instantly why Clint Barton had that expression.

It's very simple. Back when Tony was being rescued in the Middle East, it was Clint Barton who was involved in the operation. Unfortunately, Clint Barton failed to find Tony, but Sherlock did.

More importantly, Sherlock stood Clint Barton up in the end, leaving him on Tony's plane and making Barton wait alone on the plane for nearly an hour before slinking back to Washington.

This can be considered a minor but significant dark chapter in Clint Barton's secret service career, which explains his expression upon hearing Sherlock's name.

After figuring out what had happened, Coulson turned to look at Clint Barton's back, who was pretending to be very busy, and his smile widened. Without saying a word, he turned back to his work.

Fortunately, Coulson isn't Sherlock. If it were Sherlock, he would have gone up to Clint Barton and said a few sarcastic things.

Meanwhile, Sherlock was unaware of everything that was happening at the hammer site. He was driving day and night towards New Mexico, and after about three days, he finally arrived at the scene in his big pickup truck.

The scene was now cordoned off by scaffolding and tarpaulins, and there were even S.H.I.E.L.D. armed forces patrolling the perimeter. As expected, Sherlock was stopped immediately.

What made Sherlock even more nervous was that the person who intercepted him looked very familiar.

Brock Rumlow!

Looking at that face brimming with masculine hormones, Sherlock really wanted to ask him, "Did the Wolf Warriors bring you here?"

Of course, Sherlock was only thinking about it and wouldn't actually say anything strange to him, after all, he was a legitimate Hydra member.

As Crossbones walked towards him, Sherlock calmly rolled down his car window and casually dialed Coulson's number on his phone. When Crossbones reached Sherlock's car window with a smile, Sherlock handed him his phone without saying a word.

When Crossbones saw the phone Sherlock handed him, his expression froze for a moment. He had originally intended to chat with Sherlock and build a relationship with him, but after recalling the tragic state of the Ten Rings, he ultimately didn't show any other emotions and simply took the phone.

The sound of Coulson's voice coming from the phone made Crossbones even more annoyed.

"Sherlock? Have you arrived? Hello?"

After taking a deep breath, Crossbones replied to Coulson in a deep voice.

"Agent Coulson, this is Brock Rumlow!"

Upon hearing the sound of the crossbones, Coulson's tone inevitably carried a hint of joy.

"Yes, Agent Rumlow. The person on the phone is an outside helper I invited. Please let him in directly. Thank you, Agent Rumlow."

Chapter 62: Reunion with Coulson

With Coulson's endorsement, Crossbones could no longer stop Sherlock, and couldn't even talk to him. He could only wave his hand and watch helplessly as this person on Hydra's key list slipped away from him.

After thinking about it, Crossbones could only take out his phone, send a message, and then resume his boring surveillance mission.

Meanwhile, Sherlock, unaware that Crossbones had already informed Hydra of his arrival, drove his pickup truck directly into the so-called core area, which was the temporary camp erected with scaffolding.

When Sherlock stopped the car and got out of the driver's seat, Coulson was already waiting for Sherlock at the camp entrance not far away with two other people.

When Sherlock closed the car door and brought Doro to Coulson, it was obvious that the three people standing opposite Sherlock looked at Doro with a change in their gaze.

Coulson was only surprised for a moment before his expression returned to its original smile, while the man carrying the bow and arrow looked at Doro with eyes full of curiosity.

The only one standing to Coulson's right, the bald man with glasses, showed a hint of surprise in his eyes when he saw Doro, followed by a hidden greed.

Sherlock was not fooled by the change in the emotions of the three people opposite him, but he did not show anything. He simply told Doro in his arms not to stray too far from him before facing Coulson with a smile on his face.

"Sherlock, welcome. Let me introduce you. This man with glasses is Agent Sitwell, and this man carrying a bow and arrow is Clint Barton, also known by his codename in S.H.I.E.L.D. as Hawkeye."

Clint, Sitwell, this is Sherlock, Sherlock Flamel, an alchemist.

As Coulson introduced them, Sherlock shook hands with both the Hydra agent and the Avenger as a greeting.

Although they shook hands, it was clear that Sherlock's attitude towards the two was completely different. When facing Sitwell, Sherlock simply shook hands and gave a brief greeting before calling it a day.

However, when facing Hawkeye, Sherlock's lips curled into a smile. As he grasped Hawkeye's hand, Sherlock said to him in a somewhat mischievous tone.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hawkeye."

There was nothing wrong with the content, and even the way it was addressed was unchanged; the only difference was that an "er" suffix was added after Hawkeye's codename.